Shopping Withdrawal: Are You Bound to Binge?

For some people who have tried to go cold turkey and stop making unnecessary purchases, being good is getting boring. They’re experiencing “frugal fatigue,” and many shoppers out there are bound to crack.

The Washington Post explores the idea and talks with some shoppers who long to consume like the days of yore. One woman explains her attempts to go cold turkey:

For someone who used to blow $100 every time she walked into Target, “it was a sad and scary time,” she said. “I’m a shopaholic. I love to shop.”

She finally broke her fast, walking into Nordstrom after a long absence and buying a pair of 4 1/2 -inch heels in bright floral colors. The experience was cathartic, she said.

“It was like spring — rebirth, reawakening.”

Wow. At least when shoppers break down and buy stuff—or rather, when they experience a reawakening, with their impulse buys reborn in full, beautiful bloom (cue the classical music)—they can feel good that they’re helping the economy.

Done Deal: CBS Gives Green Light to Sitcom Based on Groupon

Daily deal giant Groupon is known for its peculiar sense of humor. There was the time the site “bought” April Fool’s Day. The introduction of marketing gimmicks like the creepy virtual discount wheel called “Clicky” can only be attributed to some offbeat sense of what’s amusing. And of course, from the beginning, subscribers have been reading Groupon’s trademark absurdist, careful-not-to-offend descriptions for deals arriving in their in-boxes. The fact that there’s a network sitcom in the works featuring Groupon is apparently no joke, however.

You’ll Be Able to Buy ‘Waterproof Sunblock’ This Summer, Even Though There’s No Such Thing

Last summer, the FDA announced new regulations affecting how sunscreens are marketed. Accordingly, sunscreen labels will no longer be allowed to feature the words “waterproof,” “sweatproof,” and “sunblock”—because no sunscreen is truly waterproof or sweatproof, and no lotion completely blocks the sun’s harmful rays. Originally, the changes were set to take effect this June. Now, though, it’s OK for stores to sell products making these dubious claims on through the hot months ahead.

http://money.blogs.time.com/2009/12/15/is-the-new-frugality-here-to-stay/ Is the New Frugality Here to Stay? – It's Your Money – TIME.com

[...] each other to stay out of the mall—very well may dissolve. There have already been reports of "frugal fatigue," of folks bingeing in gluttonous shoe-shopping frenzies after going cold turkey for [...]
http://money.blogs.time.com/2010/01/25/attention-its-ok-to-buy-stuff-again-just-be-quiet-about-it/ Attention: It’s OK to Buy Stuff Again. Just Be Quiet About It – It's Your Money – TIME.com

[...] month after month of conscientiously not spending, people in certain circles are experiencing "frugal fatigue." Is an epic shopping binge [...]
http://money.blogs.time.com/2010/06/15/145-what-upper-income-consumers-spend-on-an-average-day/ $145: What Upper-Income Consumers Spend on an Average Day – It's Your Money – TIME.com

[...] and middle-income people aren't quite as likely to be suffering from "frugality fatigue" or "shopping withdrawal." They're spending far less in an average day: $59. And they're spending about the same as they did a [...]
http://money.blogs.time.com/2010/12/15/so-much-for-the-new-normal-is-the-era-of-mindful-frugal-consumers-already-over/ So Much for the ‘New Normal’: Is the Era of Mindful, Frugal Consumers Already Over? – It's Your Money – TIME.com

[...] whose spending habits are forever affected by the impact of the economic collapse? Or would "frugality fatigue set in, prompting consumers to reneg on saving habits and return to their spendthrift [...]
http://money.blogs.time.com/2011/02/09/66-of-americans-are-sick-and-tired-of-pinching-pennies/ 66% of Americans Are Sick and Tired of Pinching Pennies – It's Your Money – TIME.com

[...] MORE: Shopping Withdrawal and 'Frugal Fatigue': Are You Bound to Binge? [...]
http://money.blogs.time.com/2011/03/18/184-money-tips-how-to-repurpose-leftovers-save-50k-and-put-your-preschooler-to-work/ 184 Money Tips: How to Repurpose Leftovers, Save $50K, and Put Your Preschooler to Work – It's Your Money – TIME.com

[...] another, even the most frugal folks get tired of pinching pennies. To combat frugal fatigue (and avoid a full-on shopping withdrawal binge), it helps to give yourself a little breathing room in the budget. Here's why: The purpose of [...]